Article Title

Authors

Agency

Texas Department of Transportation Environmental Affairs Division

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21112/ita.2002.1.11

Abstract

Staff Archeologists from the Environmental Affairs Division of Texas Department of Transportation discovered buried cultural resources that constitute archeological site 41JS102, in June and July 2001 at the proposed location of a bridge replacement over Noodle Creek in Jones County, Texas. Shovel testing and backhoe trenching revealed cultural material at 65 cm below the surface. Following this discovery the Texas Department of Transportation made recommendations to the Texas Historical Commission to assess site 41JS 102 and they concurred. In September 2001 archeologists from the Texas Department of Transportation initiated the site assessment phase. Landowner complications halted that work before completion. Subsequently, TRC Environmental was provided a Work Authorization under an existing general services contract to complete the assessment of 41JS102 in December 2001. The fieldwork consisted of the hand excavation and documentation of eight 1 by 1 m test units and the digging and documenting of six backhoe trenches. Limited and scattered historic artifacts were recovered from the upper parts of the two alluvial terraces (T0 and T1). A prehistoric component with quantities of lithic debitage and sparse burned rocks, limited stone tools and mussel shells, and one possible cultural feature were encountered in a sloping, but well defined 10 to 15 cm thick zone in the T1 deposits. The Principal Investigator recommended prehistoric site 4 1JS102 was eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and as a State Archeological Landmark. However, the staff at Texas Department of Transportation disagreed with that recommendation and presented an opposing case to the Texas Historical Commission who concurred with the Texas Department of Transportation's recommendations. Consequently, no further archeological investigations will occur prior to the proposed development.

Licensing Statement

This is a work produced for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) by the report producer. TxDOT and the report producer jointly own all rights, title, and interest in and to all intellectual property developed under TxDOT’s contract with the report producer. The report may be cited and brief passages from this publication may be reproduced without permission provided that credit is given to both TxDOT and the report producer. Permission to reprint an entire chapter, section, figures or tables must be obtained in advance from either the Supervisor of the Archeological Studies Branch, Environmental Affairs Division, Texas Department of Transportation, 125 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas, 78701 or from the report producer.

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